LUCY AND COMPANY

An adventurous little girl explores the natural world around her with her animal friends.

Three stories make up this sweet, accessible picture book. The stories are separated by yellow pages, making it easy for children to return to their favorite of the three. The cheery watercolors and simply drawn figures will appeal to young children. Lucy, a little white girl with rosy cheeks, heads outdoors for a picnic in the first story, “The Snack.” She finds a tree to sit in and invites four friends, Marcel the mouse, Henry the rabbit, Dot the turtle, and Adrian the snail, to join her. Map in hand, Lucy and her friends set out to find a treasure in “The Treasure Hunt,” counting steps as they go. In the last story, “The Hatchlings,” the friends help three little birds find their way in the world. Lucy figures prominently on nearly every page, surrounded by her smiling, rosy-cheeked friends. A landscape layout of oblong illustrations, gently rounded at the corners, guides readers through Lucy’s adventures as she confidently strides across the pages. The text (in uncredited translation) is simple but wry, offering chuckles all the way through. A frontispiece map not unlike Pooh’s Hundred Acre Wood shows all of the essential spots where the action takes place.

A charming book about the joy of sharing with friends, with the added benefit of reinforcing counting skills.